In the fight against climate change and in the midst of a cost of living crisis, many of us are looking for sustainable ways to make our meals go further and, according to new research from HelloFresh, TikTok is playing a key role in not only raising awareness of the importance of minimising food waste but also providing creative approaches to it.
Of course, this is great news but it’s even more exciting when you consider that UK households produce enough food waste to cover the surface area of the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg collectively, according to new research. Yikes.
TikTok’s role in tackling food waste
Now, if you still think of TikTok as being primarily an app filled with people dancing, well, I mean you would be right but it is so much more than that. According to new research from HelloFresh, searches for “#foodwaste” have racked up 712 million views – a figure which has more than doubled in the past year alone from 216 million in 2022.
Mimi Morley, a culinary expert and Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh has collated some of her favourite popular tips found on TikTok for bringing new life to food and making the most of the scraps from prepping vegetables.
What to do with old carrots
With a whopping 1.8 million views, Lottie Dalziel shared a trick to revive the old, bendy carrots some of us have lurking in the fridge and it’s super simple! Just put your carrots in cold water for five minutes to rehydrate them and they’re ready to go!
Make nachos with sweet potato skins
Best-selling cookbook author Carleigh Bodrug gained 226k views by showing how we can use our sweet potato skins to make a tasty snack or even a healthy choice for movie night.
Once you’ve cooked your sweet potatoes in the oven, peel your sweet potatoes and season the skins before frying them off in the pan. Carleigh tops her potato skins with sweet tahini dressing and fresh herbs for a nutritious snack. If you’re feeling more indulgent, top with your favourite cheese and melt in the oven!
Bring life back to mushy berries
We’ve all been there. Had great ambitions for the fruit in our fridge, forgot about it, and at the last minute threw it into a smoothie so it doesn’t feel like we’ve entirely wasted food and money. Turns out, you can actually revive mushy berries! Sustainability influencer Brennan Kai clocked up 126k views with their advice on reviving these berries. Simply put them into an ice bath to give them back their fresh look and taste!
Make your own vegetable stock
Chef The Euge Food revealed how he makes the most of leftover vegetables and cut offs by making his very own vegetable stock.
To make your own, simply collect your vegetable scraps and peels into a freezer bag. Once full, add to a pot of boiling water and season with your favourite herbs like bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for an hour before straining to reveal delicious, homemade vegetable stock which can be frozen!